Physical Fitness: Working Around Pitfalls

How Do You Rate?

When it comes to physical fitness, it’s very much a use it or lose it situation. A lot of us are losing it.

CDC Infographic: Physically Inactive Adults

Take a look at this map from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, plotting Physically Inactive Adults for the year 2008.

This was six years ago, so keep in mind these figures have certainly changed since then. However, even with older data, I still find it interesting to look at how much activity level varies depending on where you live.

Here in beautiful VT, where our fitness retreat for women is located, we weren’t doing so bad (in 2008), although Minnesota clearly could teach us a thing or two.

3 Fitness Pitfalls And Solutions

Working Around Pitfalls that Keep You From Moving

I, like so many other Americans, want to be more active physically. Recently here are some of the things I’ve done to work around pitfalls that keep me from moving:

Pitfall: Technology (Internet, Tablets, TV)

It’s easy for me to plop down in my favorite chair, turn on the tube, get online on my tablet, and then toggle back and forth between webpages and Candy Crush. I can get lost in this routine and waste way too much time.

Solution#1 – Folding Bike with Desk

I recently bought an exercise bike that neatly folds and can be rolled from a spare room into my living room. It has a built in desk that grips your laptop or tablet and is wonderful for productively wasting time. I can easily watch a TV show, surf the net, Candy Crush to my hearts desire and get a 10 mile bike ride at the same time. Love it!

Pitfall: Injury

Since a knee surgery, too much walking can be painful and running (my old favorite) is out of the question.

Solution #2 – Switch Gears & Don’t Be a Perfectionist

Post surgery, I put an emphasis on upper body strength training and decided to start biking. Is only working my upper body and biking, just as good of a work out as total body strength training and a run? No, for me it’s not, however, rather than waiting until I could return to what I knew, or until I could do everything perfectly, I just did what I could. [div class=”callout-right”]Read This Related Article: Adding More Movement Into Your Life[end-div]

Pitfall: Lack of Motivation

No explanation required here, it’s just easier to veg-out than move.

Solution #3 – Change Schedule (& Adopt Dogs)

Starting with the dogs… Dogs learn routines very quickly and they like to remind you when it’s time to eat, walk, go for a ride in the car, you name it. If you are consistent with them, they are amazing alarm clocks. Two of our three dogs tell us when it’s time to walk; there is no better motivation to move than making a puppy happy. Regarding changing one’s schedule, my husband and I have decided to go to bed earlier so we can get up earlier to walk in the morning with our dogs. As much as we like to say, “we’ll go for a walk after dinner,” it rarely happens because we lose steam by that point in the day. After a week of this, the dogs have already adjusted to the schedule change.

What pitfalls and solutions do you have when it comes to staying active?